What is Failure to Maintain?

August 08, 2016
By
Pierce, Herns, Sloan & Wilson, LLC

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Large commercial trucks can weigh up to 40 times more than a passenger
vehicle, which easily makes trucks the most dangerous vehicle with which
we share the road. One of the most common causes of trucking accidents
is a mechanical or engine error that perhaps could have been caught and
fixed had the truck driver been properly maintaining the mechanics of
his or her truck. There are a number of federal regulations put in place
to reduce the number of seriousness of collisions, yet some truck drivers
continue to drive semi-trucks without performing these routine checks.
In this blog, our Charleston truck accident attorney explains failure
to maintain.

Failure to Maintain Tires

Tire blowouts are commonly caused by a deterioration of tire quality –
when one fails to routinely check on tire pressure and treading, tires
can blow out while on the road. While tire blowouts are manageable on
a normal passenger vehicle, they can cause significant damage when on
a semi-truck. There are several federal laws that mandate truck drivers
to install a tire pressure monitor system that accurately measures the
pressure, or lack thereof, in the truck’s tires.

Failure to Maintain Brakes

According to a report by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration,
nearly 20% of semi-trucks going through inspection were found to have
a brake defect or error. Brakes are perhaps the most important element
of truck safety – should the brakes malfunction while on the highway,
other drivers are put at risk of being involved in a collision.

Failure to Maintain Trailers

Truck drivers are obligated, by law, to ensure that their tractor trailers
safely secured enough to eliminate the risk of it detaching at any point
during the driver’s commute. When a tractor trailer is not safely
or properly secured, the misalignment can add pressure on the tires, which
can wear on the tires. A truck driver may also experience difficulty in
steering when the trailer is misaligned.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.